


Rend the Flesh and [S]hatter the [B]one

by Kiloueka



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: "Tank is the worst™, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood and Gore, But he die horribly for it so it's k, Dismemberment, F/M, Gore, Impalement, JUST, There's some definite non-con elements, Torture, Violence, don't read if this kinda stuff bothers you, fuck adam, my friends are assholes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-01-29 04:08:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12622848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiloueka/pseuds/Kiloueka
Summary: A more brutal retelling of the fight with Adam in the copied city. Adam decides to fight 2B with the spikes he pulls from 9S' body.Alt title: 2B goes completely [B]erserk





	1. Rage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MeetTheTank](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeetTheTank/gifts).



> Look at this edgey-ass title. Fuck. This hurt to write, but I got peer pressured into it by YALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE. But at least writing Adam getting dunked on was nice.
> 
> My next work is gonna be disgustingly cute to make up for this.

“Welcome, to my beloved city.” Adam's voice rang out as he materialized in front of 2B. She snarled at the sight, she didn't have time for his annoying games, she needed to find 9S.

She charged immediately, sword flashing, but he simply vanished in a swirl of sparks and reappeared across the room. She spun around and charged again, but the same thing happened.

“Pod!” 2B ordered, and it fired a barrage of bullets at the machine. He vanished again and reappeared behind it, twirling around and kicking it into the wall. It fell to the ground with a loud clatter and did not get back up.

“Shit.” She hissed.

“Now now, I want this battle to be between you and me.” Adam said as he danced around the android, dodging every attack, before beginning to blabber away about his fascination with humanity and some bullshit about hatred being the defining trait. His words mostly flowed right through her as there was only one thing she could keep her mind on in that moment.

2B could feel her anger and fear rising as she pushed herself harder and harder. Adam soon took notice of this; his tone quickly changed and he began fighting back, although he never stopped flapping his gums the entire time.

The combat model had trouble keeping up with his attacks; they were so... angular... so unlike what she was used to. But she didn't care, all she needed to do was get one good hit in-- THERE!

Her sword tore through his abdomen and she was sprayed with his artificial blood as he fell backwards and vanished once again. She breathed a sigh of relief, which quickly turned into a gasp of surprise and frustration when he reappeared moments later with no wound to be found. His shirt was still torn and spattered with blood, but the “skin” underneath it was completely smooth and unharmed.

She couldn't give up there, his movements were becoming more predictable; maybe if she kept trying, she could hit him in just the right spot and kill him before he had a chance to regenerate. Again she drove her sword deep into his chest, and again he flashed away and came back, completely unharmed. She hissed and continued on, there had to be a way to do this.

_Shit. The longer I take with this asshole, the less likely it is I'll be able to get to 9S in time._

“Death-- Even the concept of death-- has no meaning to us.” Hearing the word “death” finally snapped her attention back to what he was saying.

“Thus, I decided... that I shall risk my life in battle.” Adam held his arms out as dozens of white cubes floated lazily around him. 2B waited tensely, sword at the ready, for whatever was about to happen. The machine threw his head back and the blocks suddenly fell to the floor with the sound of pounding rain.

“I have severed my connection to the network.” He turned his head slowly back towards 2B. “Now, let us embrace death!”

 _Is this... the chance I've been waiting for?_ 2B rushed him and swung. He dodged, much more gracefully than before, but not enough to completely avoid the long reach of her blade. She could feel the tip catch on his shoulder, ripping his sleeve and slicing through a thin layer of flesh. Once again, Adam vanished and reappeared, but this time... the injury was still there! It was hard to tell from the distance she was standing at first, but it was clear that the bloodstain on his shirt continued to grow as the open wound kept bleeding.

They continued to dance around in their death battle, yet 2B was only getting light cuts and scrapes on Adam as his fighting style changed to something unpredictable and quick. She could feel something in her chest begin to tremble as worry and frustration grew to new levels. Despite now having the chance to finally end him once and for all, she still couldn't land a decent hit on the bastard.

“I don't have time for you” 2B snarled, “I need... to find 9S.”

“Ahh... 9S...” Adam chuckled. That chuckle quickly turned into a full-blown, maniacal laugh as he floated up along the wall of the small tower at the end of the room. Hundreds of blocks crumbled and fell from a spot high up to reveal 9S. His broken and bloody body was carelessly pinned to the wall by entirely too many thick, stark white stakes.

“9S!” Her voice cracked as she screamed. Had he not been groaning, she could have easily thought he was dead.

“I prepared this just for you.” He said, lifting up 9S's head and running his fingers down his cheek in a sensual manner.

“I mean, after all... We all need something to fight for, don't we?”

“You son of a- I'll KILL you!” She roared and slammed her sword on the ground in frustration.

“Yes!” He screamed, letting go of 9S' face and letting his head fall forward roughly. “That's it! That's the feeling! PURE HATE!” He grabbed one of the poles in 9S' leg and yanked it out; a thin layer of blood, gore, and wires coated it as it passed through him. 9S writhed and screamed a broken, tortured scream as precious blood spilled out of his now-gaping wound. His pod flew out of the ledge it was perched on and immediately started applying staunching gel to the gash.

“Come, 2B!” He bellowed, as he jumped down before her and pointed the bloodied weapon at her to extend his challenge. She took it without hesitation and charged again. The machine easily sidestepped her and in a flash, drove the spike into her upper arm. She could feel her skin and musculature separating from her metallic frame as the weapon worked its way through.

2B screamed and stumbled as she gripped the pole with her good arm and attempted to pull it back out. Adam rushed at her before she had a chance to make much headway and she had to quickly jump back to avoid his attack. She stumbled back and fell, and the pole in her arm shattered and fell away.

The android scrambled up and pulled at what shards still remained in her arm, but Adam was on top of her again in a flash and she had to do all she could just to avoid him.

He summoned another pole to his hand from 9S' arm, causing it to fall limply to his side as blood sprayed the wall behind him. Again, they dueled until he flashed behind her and drove the spike into her calf. A loud crack could be heard as the spike fractured the side of her frame.

2B bit back a scream this time and spun around, using the pole to her advantage to knock Adam off his feet. She could hear, and feel, another crack forming as the pole connected with Adam's legs, but she didn't waste any time in diving for him, sword extended and slashing him across the back as he ducked away.

The slice was shallow, but extended from his right shoulder to just above his left hip. Adam laughed loudly and shuddered as he ran his finger along the gash and inspecting the blood that clung to his fingertips. 2B pulled the spike from her leg and hurled it him like a spear, grazing his shoulder, as he was too busy gawking at his own blood to completely dodge it.

Adam snapped his fingers again and two more spikes, one from 9S' hand and one from his foot, flew to him. The android's body began to sag and pull harder at the remaining spikes, further aggravating his already serious wounds.

Adam hurled one of the spikes at 2B, but she was ready and expertly dodged it and it shattered on the floor behind her. She glanced behind her to see where it had landed but in the split second her attention was elsewhere, Adam vanished once again and appeared in her blind spot.

2B didn't have enough time to react before he drove the spike into her foot and kicked her to the floor. She grunted and winced as the side of her head hit the cold ground. She lost her grip on her sword and it clattered uselessly just out of reach. She twisted her body to grab it, but Adam was on top of her in a flash, pinning her where she was.

He snapped his fingers once again and the remaining two spikes in 9S' arm and leg flew to his hands. The scanner's other arm fell to his side, jerking his upper body in one direction, before gravity pulled it down another. His legs dangled uselessly below him and the two remaining spikes in his torso barely held up his weight.

2B bucked and nearly threw Adam off but his grip was too strong. Soon he further immobilized her by driving both spikes into her, one in her other leg, just above the knee, and another in her shoulder. She screamed and threw a punch at him but he pulled back and smirked.

He summoned the spike from 9S' chest that time and he further slumped down like a ragdoll. The wound around the remaining spike began opening up even more, bit by bit as 9S groaned in pain and tried to grab onto it.

“You know,” Adam smirked, “9S and I had a nice little talk while you were busy running around... He told me... haha... he told me about how much, how desperately he wanted to **** you, to be _inside_ _you_.” 2B retched at the way he said those last few words; they flowed off his tongue so silkily and sultrily. Adam let out a soft, breathy laugh at her reaction.

“Those feelings seemed too intense for that poor boy to handle, so I've decided to help him out a bit with that!” He lifted the shaft up and ran his finger along the bits of gore and fluids that still clung to it before turning back to 2B and driving it deep into her hip.

She screamed and turned away to continue grasping for her sword, desperately trying to ignore the pain and disgust. Adam leaned over, one hand still gripping the pole tightly, and weaved his fingers through her hair, almost gently, before digging them into her scalp and jerking her head to face him. His hot breath on her face caused her to heave as her senses were assaulted with the scent of rotting fruit.

“See? I've granted his wish, he's inside you now, and he'll be inside you... forever.” He moaned into her ear, taking care to draw out every word so she didn't miss a single thing. He leaned back, releasing his grip on her hair and letting her head fall to the floor with a thud. She lie there trembling for a brief moment, too stunned to move, but quickly shook herself back to her senses.

“You see that boy?” He yelled, turning his head up to 9S. “How does it feel? To be inside her, like you wanted?” 2B shifted her eyes in her direction and saw him. His face was twisted in pain and rage as he used what little energy he had left to pull himself off the remaining spike in an attempt to come to her aid. He opened his mouth to force the loudest scream he could muster out, which, to the two on the floor, was no more than a barely-audible gurgle. Blood began spurting from his wounds again as the strain cracked the drying stanching gel barely holding him together.

“Oh, what's that? That's not what you meant by 'inside her'?” He chuckled as he ran his hand up and down the blood-slicked pole a few times. He held his hand up in the air and rubbed his fingers together to coat them in gore.

“Is this what you meant?” Adam took his hand and lightly placed his fingers on the inside of 2B's thigh and slowly began sliding them up her leg and under her skirt, keeping eye contact with her partner the entire time.

 _No._ She writhed under his grip as she tried to pull away. _No._ She reached further, fingers just brushing against the hilt of her sword, but still unable to get a good grip on it. _No._ The slick wetness of 9S's blood on her thigh made her want to vomit everything out of her. _No No No._ Adam's disturbing grin and lust-filled gaze added a whole new layer of disgust, rage, and fear. _NO NO NO._ Hatred, deep and intimate, filled her entire being as his fingers touched down on the hem of her leotard. _NO! NO! NO!_

“NO!” She screamed and jerked her entire body away from him. She forwent her sword entirely and clawed at Adam's face with more strength than thought possible in her current condition. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair and she gripped it tightly and slammed his head down on the floor. Once. Twice. Thr-- Adam pulled back and yanked his hair free before his head hit the ground the third time. He held his face in his hand as his shattered glasses fell to the floor. Blood poured from under his fingers as he let out a noise that sounded like a mix of a moan and a grunt.

“You do not. Fucking. TOUCH ME!” Her screams sounded almost inhuman at that point. She grabbed the spike in her arm and shattered it in her grip.

“You do not. Fucking. TOUCH 9S!” She did the same for the spikes in her hip and legs before rolling away from the machine and stumbling back up. The remaining bits of the spikes were pushed out by her body as she tensed up, ready to strike.

“Fuck you and DIE ALREADY!” She roared and charged forward, but Adam simply sidestepped and laughed before floating back up to her partner. She dashed forward and threw herself on the wall and attempted to claw herself upward.

“Oh ho ho, now we're getting somewhere.” He raised his hand high above his head and snapped his fingers. Seven more spikes materialized in the air and circled slowly around 9S. Adam gripped his hair tightly and pulled him back upright before commanding the spiked to drive themselves, one by one, back into his body near his already gaping wounds. 2B's own wounds were quickly forgotten as she screeched, almost begged him to stop, but he paid her no mind.

The scanner opened his mouth to scream, but all that escaped were pained gurgles as his voice functionality failed him. 2B could faintly see him shivering in pain as Adam slowly pulled the spike from his abdomen free after the last new spike was in place. A mix of blood, cooling gel, and various other liquids spewed out, quickly followed by a tangle of multicolored wires and tubes.

His pod desperately sprayed more staunching gel in the hole and tried to push the wiring back in, but Adam quickly batted it away and began tearing away at 9S' coat. He certainly wasn't gentle as he shook and jerked the thick fabric until it it fell away from the groaning and panting scanner's body.

It fluttered helplessly down as droplets of blood were flicked off the waving tatters. 2B instinctively dove for it and grasped it tightly in her arms as she continued to snarl up at the machine that was responsible for her partner's pain.

“Now, wouldn't that be tragic if those feelings of his were never returned?” Adam smirked and lightly circled his fingers around the bare wound. “In my honest opinion, I don't think he has much to worry about. You try to hide it, but really, you wish you were the one to rip his clothes like I did.”

Before 2B could respond, he began sliding his hand inside the gash and feeling around his chest cavity. 9S continued to gurgle and scream his silent screams as the machine probed and prodded his delicate inner-workings.

“Ahh... here it is.” Adam nearly moaned as his hand touched down on... whatever “it” was. He twisted and pulled his arm out, further stretching and tearing the scanner's wound as he freed a piece of his guts from his body. Despite being covered in blood and viscera, the shape, and faintly glowing lines that shown from beneath the fluids were unmistakable. It was his Black Box, still working, still powering the powerless android through the few, delicate wires that still held it to his body.

_No no no... you can't just remove a black box like that. You have to... ughh..._

“Put it back, you piece of shit!” She screamed.

“Oh don't worry, I will. I just want to study it for a bit.” He chuckled as he pulled the wires free and spun it on the tip of his finger like some sort of toy. YoRHa androids can survive a few minutes with their black boxes outside their bodies, but the way Adam just carelessly yanked 9S' life force free from its resting place probably shortened that time by a lot.

Adam flicked it upward high in the air and caught it in his other hand before bringing it to his face and studying it carefully. He traced his fingers along the glowing lines streaking across all sides.

“You know...” He said, “The three of us aren't much different than each other when you really think about it. We--”

“We're _nothing_ like you.” She snarled.

“Oh I wouldn't be so hasty in those accusations.” He chuckled. “In fact, I'd say you two... and all other YoRHa androids are closer to us machines than to your fellow androids. Your sole purpose is to fight and--”

“Shut up already, get down here and let me KILL YOU.” She snarled and hissed at him as she kicked the base of the tower in frustration.

“Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking to you?” He smirked. “Anyway, as I was saying,” he continued, “Your sole purpose is to fight and defeat the enemy, just like us. You're disposable, just like us. And this little device here...” He held his hand straight out in front of him with the Black Box balanced precariously on the tips of his fingers. “The thing that powers each and every one of you, is made from the same parts as the cores that power us machine lifeforms. Ah... no, there's more to it than that... The Black Box inside you... and haha... outside of 9S... are all made from stolen machine cores.”

“Liar!” She screamed as she stood helplessly below him. There was nothing she could do as long as Adam had his disgusting fingers wrapped around 9S' Black Box.

9S grunted weakly as he suddenly seized up and a gout of blood spewed from his mouth onto Adam's white shirt before he went still once again.

“Oh, I'm sorry 9S, did you want this back?” He unceremoniously shoved the Black Box back into the gash on his abdomen and patted the wound. “Here you go boy, I'm sure your little floating companion will be glad to redo the wiring for me. Now if you excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to.” He turned to 2B and grinned.

“Why are you doing this?!” She screeched, pacing back and forth below.

“Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying? It's _hatred,_ 2B. Hatred is what I want to see, want to study, want to _feel._ And I have to say you're both displaying it quite well in your own ways, but even so, I'm not completely satisfied until you show me everything you're capable of.”

“If you want hatred, I'll give you hatred, now get back down here and let me destroy you!” She let out a scream that was almost completely inhuman. Instead, the sound of a thousand raging beasts escaped her lips as she began to claw at the wall, completely ignoring the various wounds she was reopening with her desperate attempts to lure the monster that hurt 9S to his death.

“Ha ha. All right, since you're so eager to show me I'll be right down.” Adam did a flip and soared downward, landing a good fifty feet behind 2B. He extended his arm and beckoned her over with a finger.

2B turned on a dime and charged, half running, half crawling, as her damaged legs weren't enough to hold her up on their own. The injuries hardly slowed her, as something changed deep within her code to awaken some sort of primal, animalistic instinct. An instinct thought to be lost in time along with the loss of every bit of data on the original androids. Her screeching cries echoed through the empty room, freezing Adam in his tracks as the sheer weight of her rage burst through him like a thousand swords.

The combat model rammed into him full force and they both crashed to the ground in a tangle of metal and rage. She gripped his arm as tightly as she could with her injuries and smashed her fist into his face without hesitation. His jaw crumpled and shattered under the force with a satisfying crunching squelch.

Adam screamed in a mix of pain and confusion as she continued clawing at his face. He shook the shock from his mind and threw his hands up on her arms, locking them in place. 2B twisted and writhed but quickly gave up that in favor of smashing her forehead down on his face, shattering his nose.

He cried out again and pushed her head back up and away, using that momentum to flip them over, pinning her down once again. His small advantage didn't make much difference to 2B as she bucked upward and sank her teeth deep into his flesh, right where his shoulder met his neck. She writhed back and forth until she could hear a terrible, wet, tearing sound as a large chunk of flesh came free in her mouth.

Adam pushed himself off her and scrambled away; it seemed like he was either too damaged, or too overwhelmed to use his teleportation as he tried to escape and recollect himself. He no longer had the upper hand and he knew that very, very well.

“W-wha is this feelng?” He stuttered, voice muffled and words slurred as blood continued pouring from his shattered jaw. “Ss this... fear?” He stared at the android thrashing on the ground as she righted herself and stared him down, calculating her next move. No. This wasn't an android. This wasn't even a machine, or an animal. This was a beast one would only expect to see in one of humanities darkest fairy tales.

The palpable feeling that poured from her body and flowed through the entire room went beyond hatred, or rage. It was her every emotion distilled into a singularity within her mind... and that singularity was the determination to destroy him and wipe every trace of his existence from this world.

2B stood straight and charged. The strength slowly came back in her arm and legs. The nanomachines inside her thread themselves together to create a temporary fix. A fix to hold her together long enough for her to finish this fight. She had to finish soon. She had to kill. Kill. KILL!

The machine stumbled back. He had to get away. He was afraid. She was fear. This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't what he planned. This wasn't what he expected. He wanted to fight an android. Not this. Not this.

“I ont.. like.” He gasped. “D...on't like!” He gurgled. “No! Away!” He screamed. He screamed. He screamed. Words meant nothing to 2B. She barreled into him and sunk her teeth deep into his arm. Growling. Snarling. Screeching sounds escaped her throat as she thrashed her head back and forth. Terrible sounds came from the machine's arm. Sounds of ripping, and tearing, and pain, and blood were heard. She pulled a long strip of flesh off from shoulder to wrist. She flung it away and snarled. Blood dripped from her mouth. She turned to eye the collection of frayed, sparking wires and exposed metal bones. Had to be destroyed.

Blood. So much blood poured out. Adam writhed, but it did nothing. He smacked at her head, but it was futile. He screamed, but it feel on deaf ears. 2B opened her jaws wide and sunk them into his wound. She clamped down, hard. His screams grew in intensity. His bones shattered under the pressure. She jerked her head and pulled. She strained and snarled and yanked. The wet ripping sound was heard again. Loud and clear. His arm came free in her jaws. Blood poured in her mouth and down her throat. She sputtered and coughed and released her grip. The arm fell limply by the enemy's head. The enemy. Her head snapped back towards him. Must kill. Still alive. Not for long.

Below, her knee became a bludgeon. His pelvis was shattered. His legs, all but useless. Metal shards protruded. The broken bones cut from the inside out. Her knee had not stopped kicking. Digging. Crushing. It kept going, and going. The shards cut into her. She felt no pain. Only determination. To destroy. Destroy the enemy.

She clawed at his hair. Exposed his throat. Sunk her teeth in. Crunching was heard. Crackling. Gurgling. Wheezing. Snarling. Tearing. Her head thrashed. His throat came free. She released her grip. It fell. Splat.

She laughed. It's dead. Not good enough. Must be destroyed.

Teeth flash. Flesh rips. Again. Again. No more pain sounds.

“2...” Only tearing.

“2-B...” Only squelching.

“2B...” Only crunching.

“2B!” Only--

“9S?!” Immediately her head snapped up towards her partner as the last bit of Adam's flesh and circuitry fell from her bloodied mouth. It was as if his voice had flipped a switch in her head and before she knew it she was scrambling towards the tower as the spikes holding him in place began to crumble and fall away.

She stumbled, and fell, and forced herself upright as she extended her arms to the sky as 9S began to fall. The pain returned full force and it took all she had left to hold back a scream and push forward. She dove as he tumbled downward and before she knew it, they were both in a bloody pile on the ground.

2B was flat on her back; her hips were twisted and her left leg was flipped over her right in an unnatural angle. Her right arm was splayed straight out and her left was resting on her abdomen.

9S had landed right on top of her but had rolled off to the side on impact. He was lying on his side, with his right arm twisted and pinned behind him and his left on 2B's abdomen, not far below hers. When she turned her head to look at him, she saw his face lying mere inches from hers, his mouth hanging open, limply. She tried to say his name but only a pained wheeze escaped her lips. Instead she listened, listened for any sign that she wasn't too late.

She got that sign soon enough as a small puff of air from his mouth fluttered the hair partially obscuring her face. _Thank god._

“9...” She wheezed. Just saying half of his name took so much out of her, but she had to keep at it.

“9...S...” Her voice was fractionally stronger.

A small groan escaped him in response.

“I'm... s—sor...”

With a great amount of effort, 9S' lips curled up into a small smile as his arm twitched and reached towards hers, agonizingly slowly. She pushed through her pain and met him halfway, linking their fingers together and not letting go.

“P-pod.” She wheezed as it carefully rationed the remaining staunching gel between the two androids. “Request... backup.”

“Negative: The signal in this area is too weak to be picked up by allied units.”

“Go... where... signal... good...”

“Affirmative.” The pod emptied the last of the gel into 9S' chest wound and floated towards the exit as fast as its little motor could carry it.

The two androids lay there for what felt like an eternity as they both forced themselves to stay awake for the other. They communicated in faint groans and weak hand squeezes, saying more to each other that way than any spoken words could in that moment. They lie there, holding each other until the echoey footsteps of help could be heard pounding up the narrow path.

 


	2. Aversion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B wakes up alone in her room in the Bunker after the brutal battle with Adam. She immediately goes to find 9S.

Pain. Dull, throbbing pains were the first thing she felt as her senses came back online. That was the only thing that existed in that moment as she struggled to remember. What happened? Where was she? Why did everything hurt so much? Where was...

A shock ran through her body and suddenly the memories come flooding back.

“9S!” 2B screamed as she bolted upright in bed, pulling and tearing at her freshly stitched wounds. She winced as sharper pains tore through her, but immediately pushed those feelings down to take in her surroundings and assess her situation.

Everything around her was white. White bed, white walls, white tables, white sink. Even her normal, night-black clothing had been replaced with a thin, white shirt and white short skirt. She flinched back and squinted; it was almost blinding... She looked around in confusion as her mind cleared until she realized... she was back in her own room... in her own bed...

 _I'm back in the Bunker? How did I?_ _Did the distress signal finally go through?_ She closed her eyes and tried to recall the moments before everything went dark. Fragments of memories began filing back into her mind. The battle with the colossus in the ocean. 9S' disappearance. Her frantic searching. The white city. The humanoid machine. Her brutal battle. 9S tortured by Adam. Blind rage. Catching 9S as he fell. His hand on hers. The echo of footsteps. Careful, friendly hands transferring them to a stretcher. 9S' tired, comforting smile, never wavering...

 _9S._ She needed to find him, _now._ Her body screamed at her as she forced herself out of bed and hobbled over to the terminal. Since her pod was nowhere to be found, she began to search through the network to find his Black box signal. She breathed a sigh of relief when the results pointed directly to his own room; the signal was, weak, but steady, and alive.

With no hesitation, she was out the door. Her weakened body and sudden movements caused her head to spin and vision go dark for a brief moment; just enough time for her to slam against the opposite wall of the hallway. She began to slide against the paneling, but finally regained her balance and quickly pushed off in the direction of 9S' room.

The stitches covering her body stretched and strained, and she knew if she kept this up, they'd eventually pull free and begin bleeding all over again. She didn't care though, she had to see him, she had to make sure he'd be ok.

“2B?” A familiar voice called out from behind her. She turned her head just in time to see 6O running towards her, her face painted with concern.

“2B, what are you doing?” She continued before 2B could even get a word in. “You shouldn't be out here, you're too hurt.” She was there in a flash, faster than what 2B thought an operator was even capable of.

“Don't care. I need... to find 9S.” She looked ahead and continued on at a snail's pace.

“He's in his room resting. The healers finished with him about an hour ago and will be checking up on him every few hours.”

“Need to see...”

“You need to rest 2B, I promise he'll be ok and you can check on him when you're feeling better too, ok?”

“I need...”

“Please, 2B.” 6O begged. She reached over and took her arm carefully in her hands and began tugging on her, gently, but 2B held fast.

“Operator, please, just let me...”

“I know how much you care about him.” She said, voice lowered. “Even though you close him off to protect yourself. He cares about you too, you know that. He'll understand if you're not there when he wakes, I know he will, because he has in the past.”

2B bit her lip and shrunk in on herself. Tears began forming in her eyes but she quickly blinked them away and kept hobbling along.

“2B, you can be so stubborn sometimes.” She whined, but flinched in regret. “S-sorry. That wasn't... I'm just worried about you. You keep pushing yourself too hard and you don't take care of yourself like you should. I hate seeing you like this.” She sighed. “So please, let me take you back to your room and I can check on 9S for you.”

She shook her head. “I need... please.”

6O paused and simply watched the pitiful sight before her for a moment before sighing in resignation.

“There's nothing I can say to change your mind, is there?”

2B shook her head and continued on.

“...All right. Then. Let me at least help you.” She slid up under 2B's less damaged arm, throwing it over her shoulder before wrapping her other arm around her waist.

“Ready?” She asked cautiously. 2B nodded and they began moving down the hallway. The going was still slow, but not as painstakingly laborious as it was before. She was glad her operator was the one to find her and not some random unit that would have just dragged her back to her room.

“Operator?”

“Yeah, 2B?”

“Thank you.” She said as they arrived at the door to 9S' room.

“It's no problem.” She responded. “I'm here for you, I don't want you carrying this burden alone. So I'll do what I can to help.”

They took a step closer and the door slid open to reveal 9S sleeping still on the bed. He wore a matching thin, white shirt and shorts, and his frail body was covered in more stitches than anyone should ever have in their entire lifetime. His face was twisted in a tight, but faint grimace and his uninjured hand was pulled into a tense fist.

A small table with a messy pile of various medical supplies sat on the opposite wall, across from his bed and next to his sink. A thin blanket lay folded up neatly by 9S' head and 2B could see him faintly shivering in the cold the closer she got.

6O pulled a chair over for her and 2B sat down carefully beside him. She reached over him and grabbed the blanket and began struggling to cover him with it, until her operator rushed in to help. His shivering slowed to a stop, and 2B let out a tiny sigh of relief.

“2B. Lemme grab you a blanket too, You're probably not much better off in those clothes.”

“Thank you.” 2B said quietly. 6O gave her a quick once-over before rushing out of the room and down the hall.

The moment the door slid shut, 2B turned to face her unconscious partner. Only his face was exposed now, yet she could still see it pulled tight in a grimace, despite no longer shivering in the cold.

She remembered his hand, and how tense it was, so she slowly and carefully pulled the blanket aside to uncover it. There it was, still pulled into a tight fist and shaking very faintly.

Her hand came up and hovered over it, before gently touching down on it. Almost instantly she noticed a change; the tension began melting away and his hand slowly relaxed and opened up. She slid her fingers around his palm and held it there tenderly.

_Why? Why do I have this effect on you? When all I do to you is hurt you... and fail you when I try to save you?_

His sleeping face gave no answer as it too began to relax slightly, as if the warmth from her hand was radiating through his entire body. She supposes she should just accept it as it is in this moment. He seemed relieved she was here, despite not even knowing it, and that was all that mattered to her right then.

“I'm here, Nines.” She whispered. “You're safe.” She sat there, unmoving as she kept watch over his sleeping frame.

When 6O returned, she was barely responsive, only flashing a quick glance in her direction before focusing her attention back to her partner. The operator came up behind her and carefully wrapped the blanket around her shoulders before saying something she didn't quite process.to leave.

“Thank you.” 2B said in barely more than a whisper as 6O turned to leave. “For everything.”

“Of course 2B.” 6O said softly. “What kind of operator would I be if I couldn't even assist you with something like this?”

2B's lips twitched and almost began curling up into a smile, but she just sighed and nodded. “I couldn't ask... for anyone better.”

6O gasped, and smiled widely, despite the pain and worry flowing from her eyes. “I'm so glad... A-anyway, I'll leave you two be. Please, please, please, call me if you need _anything_. I'll be over in a flash!”

2B nodded again, but kept her eyes fixed on 9S. 6O silently left the room and the door slid closed, leaving 2B alone with him, this time for real.

She reached out to stroke his face but froze not one inch from his cheek. _This isn't... No..._ Slowly, she let her hand drop and pull back into her as her second thoughts got the best of her. She gripped the wound on her hip as her position on the hard chair only caused it more stress.

She could feel exhaustion begin to creep up on her once again and she slowly lowered her head on the soft mattress next to his hand. She ignored the pain of her stretching injuries and closed her eyes to listen to his soft breathing and wait for him to awaken.

The silence caused other, less welcome things to creep up on her; memories of the battle and her frantic search began to worm their way into her mind. She groaned and stiffened as she began to remember everything that had happened.

Nine hours. It had been almost nine hours between the defeat of the Colossus in the ocean and the time she found him. For nine hours, he had been pinned up against that wall, having who knows what horrid things done to him. If they were anything like what she saw him do... or what he did to her then...

2B jolted back upright and instinctively squeezed her partner's hand. She bristled at the thought. If she found out something like that had happened... she vowed to spend every waking moment to find a way to revive that machine, just so she could kill him again. Hell, she should probably do that just for what she _saw_ him do.

The images came back vividly. The way he tore his shirt away with no consideration for his injuries, _cruel._ The way he shoved his hand into 9S' wound and just dug around carelessly, _disgusting_. The way he played with his Black Box as if it were some sort of cheap toy, _awful, awful, awful_.

She saw it all happen, and was helpless to stop it.

She failed him...

She failed him...

…And then he did the same to her.

“Ugh...” Her hand instinctively flew to her hip, then down to her thigh and she gripped it tightly as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her other hand squeezed 9S' hand tighter and tighter until she had to force herself to loosen her grip in fear of hurting him further.

The battler slowly turned to look at him; his sleeping face was almost fully relaxed at this point. Only the occasional small twitch at the corner of his mouth gave away the deep pains that were plaguing his body. She hoped that the painkillers he was given were enough to take the edge off at least, so he could rest easy... They certainly weren't working well enough for her... Even if the physical pains were taken away, no medicine could offset the vile feelings bubbling up in the pit of her stomach.

She twitched and shuddered again as Adam's voice rang in her ear as if he were still right on top of her, pinning her on the cold floor.

_“How does it feel? To be inside her, like you wanted?”_

His breath was hot and rancid on her face.

_“That's not what you meant by 'inside her'?”_

His fingers were slick with warm, sticky blood. 9S' blood.

_“Is this what you meant?”_

“Urk...” She gagged as her stomach twisted and threatened to force her entire internal system out if she didn't do anything about it _right then._ She shot upward, knocking her chair down in the process as she bolted to the other side of the room.

2B barely reached the sink in time to heave into the basin. She gripped the edge with all her might as she retched, again and again, each spasm more violent than the last. Copious amounts of saliva began dripping from her mouth in preparation for vomit that never came; her stomach had been empty for who knows how many weeks. Eating was just as unnecessary to her as bathing, but that didn't stop her body from trying to expel the deep disgust that was fermenting inside her.

Pained gurgles escaped her mouth as her convulsions began reopening her wounds. She could feel the hot, oily blood begin to drip down her chest and legs, and her mind flashed back to Adam's hands, slick with 9S' blood, and how they slid up her thigh and...

“Guh..” She grunted and immediately began scratching the area violently, trying to scrape away the memory along with the blood. But all that did was spread it around and quickly rub the skin raw.

“No, stop.” She hissed under her breath as she fumbled for the washcloth that caught her eye. She grabbed it and...

“2..B...?” 9S' frail voice called out to her. 2B gasped and whipped her head around to face him, but the speed of her movements caused her to lose her balance and crash to the floor.

“2B!” He gasped as she quickly scrambled to pull herself back up, but the walk over and subsequent breakdown at the sink sapped what little energy she had regained after the fight. She clung to the edge of the basin and trembled as she tried to catch her breath.

“Shit, shit, hang on.” 9S groaned as he scrambled out of bed and hobbled over to the pile of medical supplies on the table. His face was twisted in pain as he clumsily dug through the pile, searching for staunching gel.

2B had let go of the basin and slumped over; her head was pressed against the cabinet and she curled in on herself to dampen the pain and hide her injuries from 9S' worried eyes. He blinked repeatedly and shook his head as he tried to read the labels on the bottles before he finally found what he was looking for.

The scanner turned to aid her but quickly found himself face down on the floor as his legs gave out from under him. He cursed under his breath but quickly pulled himself back up and dragged himself to her on all fours.

“2B...” His voice was stiff and laced with pain. He reached out to her but stopped suddenly as recollection flashed through his mind. The image of his partner's bloodstained face burned into his retinas; the sounds of her animalistic screams echoed through his ears. He shook his head clear. No. He knew he was in no danger, but still, that anxiety lingered.

He resumed his reach, but the moment his hand caught her eye, 2B tensed up and curled in on herself even more. A small squeaky cry and what sounded like a “no” quickly followed.

“2B,” he wheezed, “you're bleeding, let me help.”

She shook her head and shrunk back even more. _Why is she doing this?_

It didn't take much thinking for him to recall the answer.

 _“See? I've granted his wish, he's inside you now, and he'll be inside you... forever.”_ Adam's haunting voice danced through his mind. _Urgh..._

_“Oh, what's that? That's not what...”_

_Enough!_ More memories of that encounter began filing back into his mind. He tensed up and grit his teeth in a silent snarl as he recalled everything that monster did to her. _You don't fucking touch her you slime._ He flinched in pain as his tension pulled against his injuries. _Shit... 2B... she needs..._

“2B, it's me, 9S” He said in the calmest and gentlest voice he could manage. “You're safe now. I'm going to put some—ngh... staunching gel on your injuries. Can you turn around?”

She shook her head.

9S reached out slowly to place his hand on her shoulder. “2B... I'm just--”

“Don't...” She choked, flinching away from him further. 9S pulled back again and waited as his mind raced for answers. Was she afraid of him? Was it because...

“2B...” He breathed. “The machine... Adam's dead. It's just me now... and... and you know I wouldn't... do anything that monster... did to you... ever.”

9S sighed and paused to catch his breath. “I would never hurt you... or do anything... like that... to you. Everything he said was a... a...”

 _A_ _lie_? 9S wasn't sure if he could truthfully finish with that. Obviously, he wouldn't dream of doing the violent, cruel things Adam was talking doing to her... But could he really truthfully tell her Adam was spitting out only lies when he had been thinking such inappropriate and intimate thoughts about her for a long time now?

He couldn't tell her how he felt... ever... not as a dog of YoRHa, where emotions were prohibited. He couldn't tell her... especially now that Adam spewed out a warped and bastardized version of 9S' feelings into her ears as he tortured and violated her in front of him.

He could only sit and help from the sidelines as she healed. And if that's the only way she could recover from this, then that's what he'll do to support her. As much as he wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her and love her until all her pain melted away, he resigned himself to the fate that reality had thrown them in. He turned his attention back to the still-cowering 2B and spoke.

“D-do you want... I can call a healer?”

She shook her head and groaned.

“Then 2B, I need to... I don't know what...” His voice began to quiver as panic began to set in. What the hell other options were there? He can't touch her, she doesn't want a healer, but he can't just sit and let her bleed like this.

“P-put... dow...” She mumbled incoherently.

“Huh?”

“Put it down.” 2B snapped but immediately flinched at her own volume and groaned. Her hand came out and slapped itself down on the floor by her hip. She trembled as she pulled her fingers into a fist and waited silently.

9S sighed quietly and obeyed. He removed the cap and gently set the staunching gel by her hand. 2B fumbled around for a short moment before wrapping her fingers around the bottle and pulling it back into herself.

9S waited silently as she struggled with applying the gel while still curled into a tight ball. He slowly began crawling towards the wall beside her; each small movement only caused the pain to increase. But he gritted his teeth and continued on until he turned himself around and leaned up against the cold paneling. He put a good foot of distance between them; he didn't want to get too close at that moment. Thankfully 2B didn't seem to react to him just being _near_ her.

After a few minutes, she finished up and let the container fall to the side, groaning in pain as she pulled herself back into a tight ball. It rolled towards 9S and he reached out to right it before everything spilled out.

He waited in silence, not knowing what to say, as images from the past battle began plaguing his mind once again. Adam's words, 2B's screams, his searing pain, her desperation, her rage, her primal, animalistic fight for survival, everything. He had no idea that she, or any android really, was capable of such a raw display of emotion.

There was something going on inside her. A battle that's been raging on in her mind since long before they even met. He already knew since meeting her that her “Emotions are Prohibited” mantra was a lie she told herself to protect herself from... something. But what?

Beside him, 2B shifted in her spot just a bit, causing 9S to gasp and jolt back just a bit. Sounds of her feral screams and images of her bloodstained face flashed back in his mind again and he instinctively tensed up.

 _Shit._ He glanced nervously in her direction as he forced his body to relax again; he wasn't sure if she had noticed that and strongly hoped she didn't.

 _What the hell am I supposed to do?_ What _was_ he supposed to do in this situation? Hugging or touching her was out of the question. But talking? Where was he supposed to start? _Was_ he supposed to initiate a conversation? There was so much about her that he didn't know. So many chances to say the wrong thing on accident and make everything worse.

What was he to her? Did she really care about him? He huffed silently at that thought. Obviously, she had to in some way, or else she wouldn't have dragged her injured self all the way to his room... or fought that hard to save him in the first place.

He had to know. He had to know more. Why was she like this? Why was she trying to close herself off from him? What... happened?

Dark thoughts and suspicions began resurfacing in his mind. Thoughts he had been trying to push down the more he spent time with her... The more he learned in his research... The more he dug into YoRHa's own databases... The more he paid attention to the way she acted around other androids... And... the more she tried to discourage him from helping that certain, red-haired android who lost her memory...

…

…

…

He knew what happened... He didn't want to believe it... He wanted to be wrong... But there weren't many other plausible explanations for any of this.

She was going to kill him one day, wasn't she? Just like she has before, who knows how many times.

He knows this... so why does he suddenly feel less afraid sitting next to her in this moment?

…

…

…

He knows why... It's the same reason she fought so hard, and nearly threw her own life away to save him from Adam... It's the same reason she crawled all the way to see him, despite barely being able to move.

Beside him, 2B shifted in her spot just a bit; 9S calmly turned his head to her and waited. A soft whine escaped her lips and she began to tremble ever so faintly. He leaned a bit closer to her, desperately wanting to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be ok... even though he knew that was a lie in the end.

“9...S...” When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.

“2B?” He responded gently.

“I-I'm... s-sorry...” Her voice shook and cracked as her body began to shiver even more.

9S opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What should he say? What should he say?

“2B... It's... I...”

“Don't.” She sighed. “You don't... have... to lie. I f... I f-failed you...”

“Oh, 2B...” His voice shook as his eyes filled with tears. “No, 2B, no.” He shifted himself a fraction of an inch closer to her. “You... you came to... save me... You did everything... you could...”

2B simply let out a high-pitched whine in response and tensed up even more.

“You did... you... did it... in the end... right? …That's all that really... matters to me.”

2B whined again and began shaking her head at him.

“I can't...” She wheezed. “I can't... I keep... This isn't fair! Why you? You never... never...”

“Because he's a machine...” He growled. “They don't care... who they torture... who they kill... They're just...”

2B shook her head again and let out another whine.

“Nothing they do... can... compare... to... to...” 2B's body began to shake more as she began to quietly sob. “I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...

“All I ever do... is destroy... I can... I can't ever... protect... you...”

9S just waited silently for her to open up. There was not much else he could do. _What am I supposed to even say? “Oh yeah, I know you're probably talking about having to kill me and all, but don't worry about it, no big deal.”_

“I'm just... a monster...”

“2B...”

“You saw what I did back there!” She snapped, turning to face him for the first time. A look of complete exhaustion and despair poured from her puffy, reddened eyes, along with streaks of tears. 9S could feel his chest tighten up and the desire to hold her flooded back full force.

“Yeah, and I saw what he did to you.” He snapped back, but immediately covered his mouth in shock. “S-sorry... I didn't... mean to yell... Just...”

“Never... apologize... I deserve...”

“No you _don't._ ” His voice was much calmer and quieter this time, betraying the seething rage that was bubbling up inside him. “Everything he did... was awful... I saw... heard everything... You didn't deserve any of that... No one should have to... go through that.” The rage and disgust and helplessness he felt during that time tore at his insides and he buried his face in his knees and sobbed silently. She didn't deserve that, she didn't deserve any of that.

“Wh-what he s-said...” He stuttered. “Wh-when he was... I would never do that to you... I-I...” He had to keep repeating that... as long as it took...

“I know.” She said softly. “I know... never. You're kind... Gentle.”

9S couldn't hold back a small smile at her words. “Heh... Thanks, 2B.”

“9S...” His name was long and drawn out, and tinged with sadness. 2B slowly freed her hand from between her body and shakily held it out towards him. He gasped and looked at it in shock for a moment before slowly reaching out to her. As soon as his fingertips brushed hers, she yelped and pulled back into herself.

“W-wait! N-no!” She cried, shaking her head almost violently. “I'm just... hurt you... more...” A choked sob escaped her lips as her body stilled. “S-sorry...”

His head spun from the quick retraction and subsequent emotional whiplash, but soon he started to understand the reasoning behind her apprehension and aversion even more. She's afraid of herself. She couldn't trust that the beast that tore Adam to bloody pieces wouldn't rear its ugly head the moment they got closer.

She couldn't trust that... that...

_She wouldn't accidentally hurt... or kill me long before she was ever forced to..._

Those thoughts, mixed with the vile images of a violent, cruel 9S that Adam forced into her mind with his words and actions... were likely too much for her to handle in the state she was in.

“2B... It's safe... you're safe... If you want this... you don't... have to... be afraid.”

No response.

“You won't hurt me... I know... you won't.”

“You don't know... What happen... Will happen.” She mumbled.

“2B... Wh-whatever happens... in the future... doesn't matter... I know right now... that you won't do anything to... hurt me...”

Again, no response.

“So...” He continued. “Just let me...” He held out his hand to her and waited. He'd wait as long as he needed to for her to be comfortable with him, to be comfortable with herself, at least for now.

She turned her head toward him and wearily eyed his hand. The shadows on her face might have blurred the finer details on her skin, but it did nothing to obscure the look of pure exhaustion that coated her entire body.

Moments passed before her hand twitched to life and began to slowly reach out to his once again. He held still, and flashed her a soft smile, as if she were a terrified puppy he was trying to coax out of hiding.

Her fingertips brushed his and she paused, but soon enough, she continued on, sliding them ever-so-lightly up his palm. 9S slowly shifted his hand around under hers until their palms were flat against each other. 2B hummed almost inaudibly when her fingers brushed against his; it wasn't long before she weaved her fingers between his and they tenderly linked hands.

“...9S...”

“Yeah?”

“...Thank you.”

He smiled and gave her hand a light squeeze. “Anytime... It'll be ok... one day... We just gotta keep... holding on until then.”

2B's eyes dimmed and she turned her face away from him in response. “I don't know... if it ever...”

“It will... Maybe not this time... or the next time... But we will get through this... So promise me... you'll stay strong... and keep holding on... for me.”

2B sat there frozen for a long moment, but slowly, she began to nod her head. “I promise.” She said faintly. She slowly sat up and shifted her body slightly toward him. As she moved, her skirt shifted up slightly to expose the bloody, raw flesh on her thigh.

9S gasped in shock the moment he saw it. 2B's eyes flashed to his face, and back down to her leg and she quickly shifted back to hide it again.

“S-sorry, I d-didn't mean... to look...” Anger and disgust began to bubble back up inside him, although uncertainty overshadowed them both.

“It's fine.” She whispered. “It's fine... It's over...”

“It is... he won't ever... do that again.”

2B nodded in response then went silent again. He continued holding her hand and waited. Waited for a sign or something to tell him what to do next. The sign came in the form of the washcloth, hanging dangerously over the edge of the sink, finally sliding off and landing on his head. He gasped and pulled it off, staring at it for a moment in confusion.

“2B?” He whispered as he held it out to her.

She lifted her head back up to look at it for a moment, before taking it in her free hand.

“Thank you...” She said, weakly. 9S nodded in response as she shakily began wiping the blood away from the wound. Her body was tense and she let off faint whimpers as she went over the rawest scratches. She started wiping harder, and harder, getting more and more distressed as she wasn't able to scrape away the vile feelings attached.

9S had kept his eyes focused on their hands the entire time, but glanced back over as she began to flinch and groan and curse under her breath. He gasped as he saw what she was doing; the wound was looking even angrier than before and some areas even leaked a tiny bit of blood.

“2B.” He whispered and squeezed her hand. “It's ok.” 2B gasped quietly and froze in place, before slowly relaxing again.

“Y-yeah.” She breathed. “It's ok.” She held the cloth against her leg for a moment, waiting for the bleeding to stop again before carefully dabbing away any stray drops of blood.

2B leaned back and sighed, letting the washcloth fall to the side. She turned back to 9S and locked eyes with him before squeezing his hand back.

He softened his gaze and smiled. “It's ok.” He repeated.

“It's ok.” She sighed.

“It's ok.”

“It's ok.”

“It's ok.”

“9...S...”

“Yeah?”

“I'm glad... you're here...”

“Me too... 2B...”

She sighed softly as her eyelids grew heavy and she slowly began leaning back down, resting her head on her knees once again. Still, her grip on his hand never loosened and he squeezed her hand again, and again. She hummed faintly and squeezed back, and the two went back and forth for a little while until 9S could feel her begin to shiver faintly under her thin, damp clothing.

“2B?”

She hummed in response, almost inaudibly.

“Are you cold?”

“Little.”

“I'm... gonna grab your blanket.”

“It's ok...”

“Don't worry... it's not far.” He smiled.

9S slowly began to move, carefully crawling on his hands and knees, trying to angle his limbs so they didn't put too much pressure on the wounds. He was moving at a snail's pace, but he didn't give up until he wrapped his fingers around the edge of her blanket. After a small pause to catch his breath, he turned around and began short, but strenuous trip back.

By the time he reached her, his knee and hand wounds were strained to the point of bleeding again, but he ignored it as he carefully draped the cloth around 2B's shoulders. She didn't respond immediately, but soon enough, her hands came up and pulled the blanket more tightly around her. Slowly, her shivering began to subside and she let out a relieved sigh.

“9S...”

“Hm?”

“Are you cold... too?”

“Y-yeah, a bit... but it's ok... I can just grab... my own blanket...” He turned back and slid himself back towards his bed.

“W-wait.” 2B mumbled faintly, but he was already well on his way. He reached the bed and pulled himself up to grapple for the blanket crumpled up against the wall, gripping the edge tightly with his good hand. _Just a little more... Hah!_

The moment he grabbed it, his arm gave out from under him, sending him crashing down against the side of the bed. He squealed as the wound on his abdomen smacked against the sharp edge, splitting it back open. 2B raised her head and gasped when she heard his cry and saw him double over in pain.

“Shit...” He coughed as blood began staining his white shirt. His hand came up and gripped it closed as he turned around to look for where he put the staunching gel. He groaned again when he remembered it was way out of reach; the bottle was across the room, and 2B was already reaching for it.

“It's ok... 2B.” He forced a shaky smile on his face. “Should stop... on it's own.”

2B simply shook her head while grabbing the gel and began dragging herself over to him. Her movements were painfully slow, but eventually, she made it the few feet over to him and pulled herself up beside him.

“Lemme see.” She panted.

9S nervously lifted up his shirt to expose the reopened wound. 2B poured some gel in her hand and reached over to his chest... but stopped mere inches away. She groaned faintly as she fought with herself over this. Her hand moved forward and back several times in apprehension until 9S smiled gently at her.

“You're ok 2B.” He said softly, placing his hand lightly on top of hers.

Those simple words and gentle touch seemed to do the trick, as 2B almost instantly relaxed and finally bridged the gap between them. He shivered as the cool liquid touched his skin, but relaxed as the soft friction from 2B's hand soon heated it up.

When she had coated it thoroughly enough, she leaned forward and began blowing on the gel to help harden it faster. He could feel it tugging on his skin lightly as the moisture was wicked away. She pulled her head back and swayed a little as her breaths made her head feel light and dizzy.

“Is there anything... else?” She breathed.

9S shook his head. “Knee and hand... closed up on their own... Can I... help... with yours?” He held out his hand and waited for a response. 2B hesitated for a fraction of a second, but slowly placed the nearly-empty bottle in it.

She pulled back her sleeve for him and he carefully inspected it before squeezing a small blob of gel on his finger. Thankfully, it didn't seem that bad; only two of the stitches were strained beyond their ability, and only a few beads of blood dripped out. He reached forward and carefully covered the cut with the gel before blowing on it until his vision became sparkly and dark.

The scanner took some relatively-deep breaths to even himself out before continuing. His eyes flashed to the other wounds and stopped on her hip; her shirt was wet with fresh blood; the wound was still open.

“Oh... uh...” He mumbled. “Here.” He handed the gel back to 2B and looked away, but she simply smiled and gently pushed his hand back. He looked back at her in genuine shock at the gesture.

“It's ok.” She whispered.

“A-are you sure? Even after...”

She nodded and pulled up her shirt for him. The reopened wound was in much worse shape than her shoulder and he knew he shouldn't wait any longer to close it; yet he still hesitated as he slowly reached down to apply the gel.

His fingers touched down and 2B instantly tensed up, but said nothing.

“2B... are you sure?”

“It's ok...” She breathed. “I want to... replace his image... with yours...”

9S nodded, understanding and tenderly continued to close the wound. He could feel his heart rate rise and his Black Box temperature increase as he slowly realized how much trust 2B was putting in him. After everything that happened...

She kept a soft gaze on him the entire time, despite still being visibly tense. When he finished, he glanced back up at her and flashed a small smile.

“D-did that help?”

“...You're 9S... not Adam.” She sighed.

“Y-yeah, I am.”

“You're gentle... and kind.”

“Twooo Beee.” He could feel his cheeks redden slightly.

“You wouldn't... ever... hurt me... like that.”

“Never.”

“You're a... better person... than I am.”

“2B...” He leaned forward and pressed his forward against hers. “... after how hard... you fought... to save me... you're not allowed... to say that.”

She let out a faint, breathy laugh in response and began sliding down to the floor, pulling him with her. They curled up, mirroring each other's position and began inching closer and closer to one another. It wasn't long before their bodies met in the faintest way; their knees barely brushed against the other's, and their foreheads connected just enough for their warmth to flow between them. 9S could feel a faint spark flash inside him, as if connecting like that turned the two into a completed circuit that cycled some sort of intimately strange energy through them.

He relaxed again and closed his eyes, slowly letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Again, 2B mirrored him; he squeezed her hand, and she reciprocated, she sighed, he did too, he called out her name, and she, his.

The strain that was being placed on his wounds from his position on the cold floor was nothing compared to the feelings that were coursing through his body from being so close to 2B. The warmth of the blankets wrapped around them further calmed them and it wasn't long before exhaustion caught back up with them. Soon, they both fell back into a deep sleep, safely tucked away in his small room.


	3. Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B and 9S' healing is going smoothly until some darker thoughts start to dance around in his mind, destroying what little peace he had found on that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Series update: I have a full outline for the next chapter but haven't started writing it yet. This week's gonna be SUPER busy so I won't have it done that soon, I /might/ be able to finish another oneshot that I've started, but no promises.

“You two are such a mess.” The exasperated voice of the returning healer snapped the two damaged androids back awake.

“What the hell even happened here?” She gasped as she saw the various blood stains all over the room; her eyes wandered from the multiple streaks across the floor, to the pool by the sink, to the smear on the bed, and finally back to 2B and 9S, who lay wrapped up in their red-stained blankets on the floor.

“Nothing.” The two said in unison. “Everything's fine.”

“This is definitely not 'nothing'” She grunted, pointing at the empty, bloodstained bottle of staunching gel she picked up off the floor. The healer sighed and tossed it in the trash when she realized neither of them were looking at, or even listening to her.

“All right, since you two are about as conversational as rocks right now, let me just fix you both up... again... and get you in your proper beds.”

“No!” They cried in unison once again as they pulled each other closer.

“Fine, fine. I'll set you two lovebirds up together in this bed, but you better not try anything and reopen any more wounds or you're going back to your own room.”

_Lovebirds._

“We... we're... n-n...” 2B started to speak but was silenced by the healer loudly grumbling and rummaging through her medical bag for whatever tools and medicines she needed. She knelt down next to 9S and carefully rolled him on his back. He groaned as he was pulled from 2B's warmth and was pressed against the cold floor.

“Help 2B first.” He wheezed.

“No.” 2B mumbled. “You're more hurt.”

“I don't ca—”

“2B's right.” The healer interrupted. “You look like a pile of Swiss cheese.”

“The hell is Swiss cheese?” 2B asked.

“...Nothing, you know what, never mind.” The healer huffed and quickly got to work patching the scanner up.

9S glared at her for her rude dismissal of 2B, but began explaining the concept of fermented dairy products that humans had been making since the dawn of mankind. 2B listened intently as he listed off all the random facts he knew about the thousands of types of cheeses that used to exist before humanity was forced to the moon. He struggled to form words as exhaustion kept creeping up on him, but he pushed forward. 2B actually seemed fairly interested in what he was telling her, despite her eyelids drooping randomly and having to shake herself back awake every once in a while.

9S grit his teeth and stiffened up as the healer began applying more skin grafts and stitches to his wounds. She wasn't exactly being gentle, at least in his opinion. Maybe she wasn't as interested in learning about old human foods as 2B seemed.

“So yeah, Swiss cheese... is a cheese tha-- nghh.”A particularly sharp pain caused him to twitch and grunt, but he soon felt a gentle, repeating squeeze on his hand as 2B did what she could to comfort him. She squeezed again, and again, and bit by bit, his nerves began to calm and his body relaxed ever-so-slightly.

The scanner flashed her an exhausted smile. 2B's lips twitched and her eyes flicked away from him momentarily. The smile faded slightly but grew once again as 2B brought her gaze back up to him and her lips curled up into a tiny grin.

“Honestly I have no idea how you two even survived, especially you, 9S. I don't even know how you're even conscious right now and not screaming in pain.”

“Believe me,” he groaned, “I'm just as... confused as you are.” He let out a sharp gasp as she lifted his shirt to tend to his chest wounds. Her cold fingers were a sharp contrast to the warmth that radiated from 2B's. _2B._ Her smile grew wider as his gaze softened for her. _Heh, I know why._

As the healer continued working, 2B's other hand shakily found its way to his and she gently began stroking his palm. He desperately wanted to reciprocate, but his other hand was currently being sewn back together by the healer.

“All right, you're good to go.” She said after several more minutes. “This wouldn't have taken nearly as long if you had just stayed in bed, you know.”

9S grunted in response, he was too tired to argue as the healer picked him up and carefully slid him over on the bed. He felt a sudden jolt of anxiety as his hand was separated from 2B's, but soon enough, the healer slid her up next to him and they rejoined hands almost instantly.

The healer huffed again at the sight and began working on 2B. She tried to stay strong and still, but 9S could feel the tension in her hand as the healer dug around in her shoulder. He gladly returned the gentle hand squeeze 2B comforted him with, just repeating the gentle pressure to let her know he was there for her. Thankfully, it seemed to relax her just a bit... until the healer began working on her hip wound.

The tension returned full force as she pulled in on herself; she began to fold her arms on top of her and she slid her feet up towards her body. The healer pushed her legs back down and hissed at her to hold still, but 9S snapped back.

“Can't you... chill out?” He growled. “She's been through... a lot... and you're... not... helping.”

The healer huffed again and opened her mouth to respond but bit back her words.

“...Sorry. I... eh... never mind, sorry.” She looked away in shame and began tending to 2B's wound again; this time much more carefully. 2B slowly relaxed again as 9S shifted his head closer to hers, while still maintaining his slow, gentle hand squeezes.

The healer finished up before long and was on her way, muttering a quiet apology as the door shut behind her. 9S looked on in mild confusion, before turning back to 2B.

“What was with her anyway?” He grumbled.

“She lost...” 2B groaned. “Her partner... in the battle...”

“Oh.” His voice dimmed. _Seems like everyone here has their own internal battles to fight..._ "Well, that's no reason... to be rude... like that."

“...I des...” She paused and closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly to clear it. “No... you're right.” She mumbled and slid a little closer to him.

“Mmm...” He sighed, and pulled himself closer as well. The pain had subsided quite a bit since their newest dose of painkillers had kicked in. Exhaustion quickly slithered its way back and he could feel his eyelids grow heavy and his body sink deeper into the mattress.

2B wasn't much far behind him; he could only see a sliver of her hazy blue eyes through her thick lashes as her head drooped lazily to the side.

“Let's get some sleep... 2B.” He yawned.

She yawned back in response and gave his hand one more squeeze before relaxing and closing her eyes. He watched her as she fell back into sleep mode before following her as his own exhaustion forced him to shut down as well.

* * *

The hours passed as 2B and 9S continued to recover together in his little room. Healers came and went intermittently, poking around at their wounds and occasionally opening 9S back up to check the status of his internal repairs. The whole thing seemed unnecessary to him, but he didn't say anything; they were the healers, not him.

He was mildly surprised that 2B didn't start making a fuss over how much they were being handled; she usually got antsy and combative if maintenance took longer than she expected it to, but this time, she just lay quietly as the healers continued to poke and prod at her injuries. She only became tense whenever they went to work on her hip, but hand squeezes and soothing words from 9S seemed to ease her nerves quite well.

She was quick to do the same for him, tenderly stroking his hand whenever they tinkered with his inner workings. It didn't _hurt_ him much; the healers were able to turn off his pain sensors temporarily as they worked, but having more sets of hands inside him like that made him almost squirm with discomfort.

After each session was over, 9S would chatter on a bit about random, light topics for a little while, with 2B listening sleepily, until they both reentered rest mode. Each time they woke, he would find that 2B had slid slightly closer to him, until at one point, her chin was resting on his shoulder and her hair was tangled with his.

She was still asleep when he came-to that time; he could feel her warm breath puffing on his neck and hear the faint, almost silent sighs that escaped her lips every time she exhaled. His eyes wandered down to her soft lips so dangerously close to his own. They were parted ever so slightly and he could see them faintly move and tremble as she mumbled something inaudibly.

The smooth, rosy pink skin on her lips was enchanting to him and he could almost feel a pull towards them as she continued to tremble and hum in her sleep. Without even realizing it, he began leaning in towards them, inch by inch. She knew how he felt and she felt the same way so... He closed his eyes and...

 _“All who live are slaves to desire.”_ Adam's voice rang out through his head, loud and clear.

 _N-no! I--_ He gasped, pulling away from 2B in shame. _I wouldn't-- I'm not like that!_

 _“Ha ha ha! Oh yes you are.”_ The sound was glaring, it clawed at the android's mind and caused him to retreat back even further. _It's ok. It's ok. It's just the stress replaying his words, that's all..._

_“I saw what you almost did. Don't try to hide it boy.”_

_What the hell?_ 9S cursed as the fresh soundbytes echoed through his mind. _What's going on? Is this a virus? But... they scanned me and found nothing!_

_“Overflowing desire. For her.”_

_Ok calm down._ He thought, trying his best to ignore “Adam's” taunting. _Calm down. Calm down. Calm down._ He closed his eyes and dove deep into his own hacking space to run more virus checks.

[Running scan: 18%]

“ _You can't get rid of me that easy.”_

_Shut up._

[33%]

_“You can't hide those feelings of yours forever, you know.”_

_Shut up!_

[51%]

_“You almost did it just then, why not finish what you started?”_

_Because it's wrong._

[65%]

_“You know what she is. You know what she's done.”_

_I don't care._

[72%]

_“You know what she's taken from you.”_

_I don't_ _**care!** _ _Sh-she..._

[88%]

 _“Why not take something back? It's not like she'd stop you. It's not like she_ _**can** _ _stop you.”_

_Shut up! And get out of my head already!_

[Scan complete: No virus detected.]

_Run another scan! Scrub every last inch of my hacking space!_

Adam remained silent that time, but 9S could feel his presence weighing down on him the entire scan. He could feel his panic and disgust growing the closer it got to completion.

[Scan complete: No virus detected.]

_Damn it. Where are you?!_

_“I told you. You can't get rid of me that easy.”_

_Shit. I liked it better when you were_ _**quiet!** _

_“Things don't always go your way, boy.”_

_Fuck. Off._

_“Just give in.”_

_No._

_“Take what you want.”_

_I said NO!_

_“Finish what you started.”_

_Why are you doing this?_

_“Me? I'm just trying to help you get in touch with your true feelings.”_

_Fuck. Off. I don't need help from you. I already know my true feelings... I already know that I... I..._

“9S?” 2B's frail voice cut through the physical silence like a hot knife.

“2-2B!” He gasped as he pulled into himself even more. His knees bumped against the wall and he only then realized how far he had shifted and cowered during that time. _Shit. Shit shit shit._ “I—I...”

“What happened? What's going on?” Her voice was soft, yet tinged with concern. 9S' mind raced for an appropriate answer but came up blank again and again. _I can't tell her the truth... but I can't lie either. What do I do what do I do???_

“I—It's nothing. I just... It's... easier on my injuries to lie like this.” He shifted in his spot a bit and flinched as the pressure on his shoulder pinched a nerve _. Shit._

“9S...” 2B murmured. He could feel the bed shifting and hear the blankets rustling as she sat up and began slowly leaning towards him. His eyes flashed towards her and he caught a glimpse of her hand reaching out to him; he immediately gasped and pulled away, shaking his head.

“N—no. Please.” He groaned. 2B pulled her hand back, hurt. “I can't...”

“9S?” She said, her voice painted with a small hint of pain. “Did I... is this because—”

“This isn't because of you 2B... I promise.” He mumbled. “I just... Adam... said things to me while I was trapped there. And now... and now... I don't know what to think of myself... I'm sorry.”

2B sat beside him silently for a long moment. The growing discomfort in the air was almost palpable, as neither of them knew how to continue. 9S began trembling slightly as panic began seeping in; what was he supposed to do?

“You can tell me anything.” She murmured after what seemed like ages. “Whatever he said... whatever you feel... If you can talk, I'll listen, I won't judge, and it won't change the way... the way I... feel about you.” Her voice began to waver as she fought harder to push the words out. “If you hate me for what I've done to you... and how I treat you... Then that's ok. I deser—”

“No!” He almost yelled as he flipped himself around to face her. He opened his mouth to continue but paused as his eyes flashed across her huddled frame. She was sitting up against the wall with her arms wrapped around her legs, pulling them tightly into herself. A look of confusion and near-fear shone through the dark exhaustion in her eyes as she peeked over her knees. Her blanket was wrapped around her, further concealing her face so only the bridge of her nose and her eyes were visible to him. When he looked closer, he could see them glisten with tears that threatened to fall.

It hurt him to see just how vulnerable and tired she was, huddled beside him. It hurt him to know that it was all because he couldn't come clean with his feelings to her. It hurt him to think about how terrible he was at controlling his emotions and feelings. _I'm such an ass._

“That's not at all what I was trying to say...” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I was...” He sighed and covered his face with his hand, before taking a deep breath and pulling himself up against the wall, mirroring her position. After another deep breath, he forced himself to look at her with the softest expression he could manage.

“I don't hate you, I could never... Those feelings, the feelings that Adam made me confront, that he... forced into the open, he tried to make me... Ugh... I could hear him speaking to me before you woke up. I don't know what's happening. I'm not infected, but it feels like he's still here inside my mind... like he was before.

“He was... trying to get me to act on those feelings, and I almost did.” He paused as he looked away in shame. “When we were touching earlier, it felt so nice. Your hand was so warm. It felt like... it felt like there was some sort of connection between us when we were on the floor together. I... wanted more of that.” His voice quieted to a whisper as he buried his head deeper into his knees.

“...And... I almost...” He lifted his head up and pressed his lips to the back of his curled hand. “Kissed... And then Adam was there, and started talking, and... and... then he was trying to make me do w-worse things.” His speech grew faster and more frantic each word.

“And I knew it was wrong and was trying to get rid of him but he wouldn't go away and kept talking and I didn't know what to do and I know you're just my partner and we're not supposed to have emotions but they're so hard to not... to hide and just all the time I've been spending with you has been... I've loved it and even though you've been cold to me I've really liked not being alone—”

“9S.” 2B said faintly.

“—and I know you're not really a cold person because I've seen you be gentle with other people and I thought that you just didn't like me but now I know that... mmm... well that there's a reason and that it's ok I still—”

“ _9S._ ” She repeated, placing her hand lightly on his. He jumped and snapped his head in her direction, nearly jerking himself away at the same time, but stopping at the last minute. His eyes were wide in shock and he feared he had said too much... but the look on her face showed no hints of fear, or anger, or disgust; only a small, serene smile shone through the exhausted mask on her face.

“I—I'm sorry.” He squeaked. “I said too much, I didn't mean—” His words were cut off by 2B's hand sliding down his and slipping between the gaps in his fingers.

“Just for today... It's ok if we get closer to each other...” She said in a voice that trailed away. “It's ok... to be emotional.” Her voice started wavering as a single tear ran down her cheek. “It's ok to tell me anything you want, to do anything you want. I mean...” She paused, lowering her gaze and tracing her fingers across the stitches on his hand.

“2B...” He whispered. “Right now... I just want to... to...” He took his other hand and slowly leaned towards her, placing his palm lightly on her cheek; he could feel that same spark from earlier flash through him as they connected once again. His thumb tenderly ran up her face, wiping the lone tear away.

Her smile grew slightly wider and her eyes softened as she leaned towards him as well. They shifted closer and closer, and slowly, but surely, they found their bodies nearly touching and their faces mere inches from each other. Her free hand came up against his cheek and pulled ever-so-lightly on it, as she closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and waited.

9S held still for a moment, still faintly in shock about what was about to happen. But soon, he relaxed, closed his eyes, and breathed a shallow sigh before shifting that final, tiny distance into her. Their lips met in the faintest way and he could feel yet another spark run through him as they connected even more intimately; he wondered if 2B felt that same sensation as she let out a tiny, almost inaudible squeak.

Her hand slid further back into his hair and he pushed forward a bit more, sealing their lips together in a more solid kiss. A serene, peaceful feeling washed through him as he relaxed even more and began exploring her lips with his own. She held still, letting him feel his way around for a short while before finally reciprocating; she pressed up against him, while stroking her fingers through his hair with one hand and delicately running them along his fingers with the other.

“Mmm...” 9S breathed as he pulled back momentarily. “This is... all I want right now... Everything else can wait.” He leaned back into it and tasted her lips, savoring the new and unique flavors and sensations he was experiencing.

Her tongue darted out and ran lightly along the inside of his lip, causing him to shudder and almost laugh as the faint contact tickled ever-so-slightly. His own tongue slid out in response and he ran it against the tip of hers; she gasped slightly at the sensation but eagerly returned the gesture. They spent the next few moments gingerly running the ends of their tongues against each other's, only staying at the surface and being careful not to go in too far.

There was no hurry to get that into it just yet. Maybe another time, but right now, 9S was content with just this tender, gentle gesture, and it seemed 2B was as well.

They continued their delicate touches until 2B pulled her tongue back in her mouth and simply pressed her lips against his and held still, taking slow deep breaths and just... soaking in his warmth. 9S hummed and waited patiently; his eyes were still lightly closed and he didn't dare open them just yet, not until there was some sign from 2B that he should.

That sign came sooner than he expected in the form of warm tears dripping onto his lips and running down his chin as they began streaming down 2B's face. His eyes fluttered open and he pulled back to ask what was wrong, but she simply pulled him back in and let out a musical sigh before he could open his mouth. He looked up to meet her gaze and was dazzled by the soft, loving expression radiating from her eyes. A wave of hope washed through him as he became transfixed by her every little detail in the complex network of wires and glass that made up her eyes.

 _Everything's gonna be ok, isn't it? This time... this time it'll be different. This time... I'll be able to stay by her side. This time... she won't get that order. Because things are changing... Adam's dead, the machines have lost an important pawn on their side, and before long, Eve will follow and the war will draw to a close._ He sighed and held on to that hope as he pulled back from 2B to get a better look at her eyes. _We'll be free soon, and I'll do everything in my power to make that reality._

“9S?” She murmured.

“Hmm?”

2B simply sighed and leaned her head against his chest and hummed. He smiled and placed his lips on the top of her head while he slid his free hand behind her and carefully pulled her closer. Slowly, they slid back down into a resting position and 2B threw her blanket around 9S, trapping them together in a cocoon of warmth. With her head still resting on his chest, she wrapped her arm around him and slid her fingers up into his hair; her other hand intertwined itself with his and held it gently between them.

“Are you ok?” She breathed. “With your shoulder like that?”

“Mmm... for a while.” He responded. “It hurts a little, but it's fine for now. The mattress spreads the weight out a lot better than the floor does.”

“I'm glad. I... like this.” She sighed.

“Me too.” He closed his eyes again and breathed in her sweet, yet musty scent. It was masked beneath the smell of a dozen medications and gels, but he could still faintly pick it out from the mixture. The extra twinges of pain in his wounds were a small price to pay to be able to be this close to the one he cared about so much.

In the silence that followed, his mind flashed back to “Adam” and the things he said in his mind. He realized then, that he had been completely silent the moment 2B woke up. His curiosity sparked mildly, but faded away as he was realized he was too exhausted to care in that moment.

He was gone and that's all that mattered to 9S... for the most part. His words still lingered in his mind and grew louder the longer they lay in silence, but 2B seemed to sense his growing discomfort and gently stroked her fingers through his hair, helping him relax a bit and clear his mind.

 _He's not real._ He thought. _He's nothing but a figment of my imagination; a seed planted by the real Adam to take advantage of the condition I'm in to further mess with my head. Some dirty, final trick he played to make me act on my... desires... in ways I would never have done when my head was clear. That's it, that has to be it._ He squeezed 2B's hand to further comfort himself, and she quickly returned the gesture.

Even so... some of the things “he” said had some sliver of truth to them; he couldn't hide his feelings forever, not after enduring the torment he went through, and especially not after feeling how cathartic spilling his emotions out to 2B just then felt.

She probably knew how he felt already; he's sure some more bold versions of himself have told her in the past. But this version hasn't; he needed to say it, and he hoped to whatever deity that may be out there that she needed to hear it too. He took a deep breath and...

“2B?” He murmured.

“Hmm?”

“Is it still ok... if I tell you... how I feel?”

She paused for a moment, and 9S began to fear the worst, but slowly, her head nodded slightly and she sighed softly. “...Yeah. What I said earlier... still applies now... whatever you wanna say, whatever you wanna do... go ahead.”

9S sighed softly and took another deep breath before continuing. “2B... I was... I was so alone before I met you. I would sometimes go weeks without coming into contact with another android on Earth. And it was so hard, not having anyone to talk to.

“But then I was partnered with you and... it was like... I suddenly wasn't alone anymore... I had someone to connect with. Even though you didn't talk back much, I was still so happy. And then I met so many more people. And I know I complain a lot about having to run errand after errand for a ton of random androids, but really? I prefer them a hundred times more than being on my own.”

2B listened silently, and continued stroking her fingers through his hair; that and her slow, rhythmic breathing helped keep his nerves as relaxed as they could be in that situation. He was grateful for that, as he knew that, without that small comfort, he might not have had the courage to continue.  
“2B... deep down, I know you're really a kind, gentle person, I can see that right now. And I know you have to hide it from me... and I understand why, but I still want to see more of this side of you. Is... is that wrong of me?”

“No...” She whispered. “None of your feelings are wrong 9S.” The scanner could feel an almost overwhelming sense of relief at hearing those words. He let out a breathy laugh as he gained more courage to continue.

“I... I'm... thank you, 2B...” He squeezed her hand to further accentuate his gratitude. “That... that means a lot to me.”

She hummed and nodded in response, but remained silent, waiting for him to finish.

“2B I...” His voice quieted and began to waver. “I just... when I was trapped up there... Adam was prying into my mind, and opened me up, and made me... think about feelings that I've been trying to hide for so long...” Tears began to fill his eyes and his cracking voice betrayed any attempts at stopping her from noticing.

“And then when you came to save me and fought so hard and didn't give up no matter what... I realized that... that...” He paused and trembled as he felt his courage waning. He knew he couldn't stop there after how far he already came, so he took a deep breath and...

“I love you... 2B.” He cried. “I know it's wrong and I know maybe now's not the best time to tell you, but... it's the truth and I needed to... to say it...” He became a trembling mess as the combination of fear and relief swirled through his body like a whirlwind.

2B didn't respond in any way. She didn't speak. She didn't move. The fear that had been swirling inside 9S quickly overcame and flushed away the relief that had accompanied it before. He tried to stay calm and find a way to save face as panic slowly began to creep up on him.

“I—I'm sorry.” He stuttered. “I didn't... I shouldn't have... It's just... you're all I have and you're the only light in this chaotic—”

“ _Nines._ ” She said in barely more than a whisper. 9S let out a gasp as he froze when that name hit him and a new wave of emotion washed over him. Her grip on his hand and hair tightened as she began to tremble as well.

“Y-yeah?”

“I was so scared... I was so angry... when I saw what that machine had done to you. And I still am... knowing now that his torment is still following you. You don't deserve any of that, you don't deserve what he's done... you don't deserve what I've done.” She took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing, just as quietly as she had before.

“I refused to give up, and I fought as hard as I could to save you because I can't stand seeing you hurt because...” Her voice began to waver as well and she buried her face deeper into his chest as her tears began to escape and soak into his thin shirt. He flinched slightly as the pressure put more strain on his wounds, but he kept quiet and let her continue.

“Because... you're special to me, Nines. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one who's able to make me feel this way." She paused again to take a deep, ragged breath.

“That's not _just_ it... I... I... I'm doing all this... because I care about you, Nines. I care about you more than anyone else. And I promised you I would... stay by your side... no matter what... no matter how much it hurt to lose you... no matter how much I wanted to run away... or end it...” Another long silence filled the room until she took another deep breath and let a low whine escape her lips.

“And... and... I... love... you... too...” She cried; the raw emotion that came with those words nearly knocked the wind out of 9S as it flowed out of her. He felt a jolt through his body as her words rang through his ears, and he lay frozen in place as his mind tried to process a response he never thought he'd receive.

“2B I...” he breathed, “you... I'm so... I'm so glad.” He pulled her closer and ran his fingers through her hair as she shook and trembled in his arms. Slowly, her hands began to move as she started to reciprocate, gently and cautiously at first, but quickly building confidence and finding a pleasant rhythm.

The two spent the next unknown time simply enjoying the silence of space together. The events from the days prior were nearly forgotten in that small window of time as they basked in each other's presence. Her unique scent, the faint rumble of her Black Box, the silkiness of her hair, the words she continued to mumble as she slowly opened up more to him, everything about her he soaked up with pure reverence. Despite the pain, despite the loneliness, despite the uncertainty, he still was glad to have met her.

9S smiled. Everything was going to be ok. As long as they had each other, nothing could stand in their way.


End file.
